Therapy was created as a form of emotional and mental relief, but if someone cannot be reached through conventional methods, what is a therapist to do? Art therapy is capable of reaching a part of your mental capacity that simple therapy cannot. The use of art therapy has proved to be therapeutic and beneficial in the treatment of various conditions. “Art Therapy is a mental health profession in which clients, facilitated by the art therapist, use art media, the creative process, and the resulting artwork to explore their feelings, reconcile emotional conflicts, foster self-awareness, manage behavior and addictions, develop social skills, improve reality orientation, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem” (“What is Art Therapy” 1). This …show more content…
Naumberg was determined to find a way to reach a deeper emotional level, in which it could be creatively expressed, as well as verbally. She prevailed with her studies as she is well-known for her discoveries that are widely used to this day. In order to further her education after receiving her Bachelor’s degree in 1911, Margaret attended college at the London School of Economics and Columbia University. She created the Walden School with the purpose to encourage children to express and discover themselves in a creative way. Eventually, she left the school to go where she could teach and write about art therapy. Art Therapy and Naumberg’s approach to it was originally influenced greatly by, “The Father of Pschoanalysis,” Sigmund Freud’s work; although, in common times, art therapy has strayed away from Freud’s unconscious theory. Art therapy began to become accepted as a form of therapy during the 1940s and it has flourished ever …show more content…
It allows a person to express themselves through body movements. It’s a way of expressing yourself that is not possible to put into words. This type of creative therapy is helpful because it can be an entertaining way for people to exercise. When we exercise, our heart rate increases and then our bodies release endorphins, leading to a positive chemical reaction in your brain. This release of endorphins is helpful in boosting confidence and self-esteem. Dancing also helps you to relax because when you are moving to music, it keeps you focused on what is going on at the moment. When you are focused and fully engaged, your mind will not wander and you will be at ease. Dance therapy is truly something astonishing, because there are no boundaries or rules. It can either be independent or a group activity, which will allow you to have more freedom when it comes down to choosing what makes you
This approach she felt was prominent during the art making portion of the session. Besides from the art portion of a session, Riley believed the verbal component of art therapy was important. Riley explored the stigma surrounding art therapy and the client's verbal expressions. From the book, Integrative Approaches to Family Art Therapy (Riley & Malchiodi, 1994), Riley states: “Hearing client’s language does not negate the process of looking at the art product. It is a synthesis of two creative means of communication.” Joining these two stories was key in Riley’s
Rubin, J. A. (2001). Approaches to art therapy: Theory and technique. (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge.
Specht, Sanne. (30 July). A Picture Is Worth: The stories behind the art therapy pieces on
Drawings and other self-generated forms of visual art produced by people suffering from mental illness sparked the interest of psychiatrists around the end of the 19th century. They were considered “outpourings of the mind in turmoil” (Rubin 6). Fascinated by these samples of artwork, psychiatrists began to study them in an attempt to better understand the creator and the illness. Art therapy is a fluid, adaptable and evolving field. Today art therapists employ a variety of methods and work in a variety of rehabilitation settings, but the focus of this paper is the use and benefits of visual art therapy in correctional settings. Unfortunately, there has been little research to measure the effectiveness of art therapy in prison. Researchers are still in the early stages of understanding what art therapy does, how it does this, and why it is effective. Through art therapy programs, prisoners are able to more fully come to know themselves and are therefore fore able to authentically participate in life and community as well as develop an ongoing motivation towards recovery.
...therapy is such a new form of movement that has been discovered, Hanna presses that dance therapy should be further investigated to show that there are beneficial effects from dancing because dancing allows a person to have a positive outlook about their illness and stressors that have been affecting their life.
In recent times, trying to express oneself has become increasingly difficult; this is as such with patients suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a result of extreme exposure to physical harm or danger. These traumatic experiences could be caused by reasons such as near-death, serious accident, violence, war, torture, or any event that causes extreme fear. A common occurrence with patients dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a hesitancy or inability to discuss or express emotions and thoughts verbally. We as art therapist need to come up with a method to reawaken the positive emotions and address the symptoms of emotional freezing in patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. If not, these patients will suffer lifelong with damaged relations and innumerable ailments, both physical and mental. With that being noted, the method of associative art and its various forms will bridge the gap between the imprisoned emotions detained by those suffering Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the positive aspects of their life.
I then came across the practice of art therapy. As a child, I've had a love for drawing and art, and I never really grew out of it. I saw art therapy as a wonderful opportunity for me since I found this both an enjoyable and useful study. I became interested in art therapy because it serves as a creative outlet for me to help people by applying what I love for them. I believe art therapy can help troubling patients because it connects with troubling patients at
People from all around the world suffer from many different anxieties and troubles. They turn to things they enjoy so that they can forget reality and be somewhat happy or simply to communicate with one another. Most of the enjoyment is temporary and not sufficient, that is why they continue doing what they do. Creative Arts Therapy, also known as Expressive Arts Therapy, helps those who find themselves completely lost and have nowhere to go or anyone to go to. They can express themselves however they please. In order to better understand arts therapy one must have a knowledge of creativity, emotions and, of course, people.
My vision of Art Therapy was very vague. I always thought art therapy was a form of therapy for distressed or abused children trying to tell a story through pictures or drawings. The American Art Therapy Association defines art therapy as a mental health profession that uses the creative process of art making to improve and enhance the physical, mental, and emotional well being of individuals of all ages. Art therapy is a form psychotherapy that has been practiced for over sixty years and it has been promoted as a means of helping people who find it difficult to express themselves verbally (Crawford, et al., 2010). Art therapy sessions usually start with a form of relaxation such as deep breathing , progressive muscle relaxation, or setting an intention for the session ahead (Hart, 2010). Art therapy is used for several different types of people with diverse illnesses such as: Autism Spectrum Disorder, people living with HIV/AIDS, mental disorders and even Cancer. Studies show that art therapy can lead to increased self awareness of self, as well as improved ability to cope with symptoms, stress, and traumatic experiences (American Art Therapy Association). This form of therapy helps these patients express positive feelings that may not be easy to access in the midst of a fear provoking experience (Hart, 2010). Art therapy help people to identify their feelings, and resolve the issues associated with their illness. Although, my lack of knowledge on this therapeu...
Brooke, S.L. (2004). Tools of the trade: A therapist's guide to art therapy assessments (2nd ed., Rev.). Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas.
Art therapy began as a natural extension of Freud’s groundbreaking psychoanalytic theories at the turn of the last century. Psychiatrists discovered that visual arts could be used as a tool of assessment, and by the 1940s art was being used not only for assessment, but also in therapeutic applications (Junge, 2010). Two main branches evolved from these early years: art as therapy and art psychotherapy.
Trauma, as defined by the American Psychological Association, is an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident, rape or natural disaster. In order to process and overcome a traumatic experience, most seek a therapist. This is especially true for individuals who have dealt with childhood sexual abuse. There are different types of therapy and therapists that exist that individuals go to. Art therapy is a kind of psychotherapy that uses art as it’s main technique of communications in order to improve the emotional and mental well being of the patients. It combines the areas of human development, visual art such as drawing, sculpture, painting and other kinds of art and the artistic process with counseling and psychotherapy.
What is Art therapy used for? It provides an outlet for coping for some people who may be suffering for any type of illness, in Stanford Medicine It was used with cancer patients; with this therapy the Art Therapist will provide and use pictures, art supplies and visual symbols to help create a better understanding of what the patient is feeling and help address their own concerns or conflicts (cancer.stanford.edu). Some of the examples of art therapy could be coloring, painting, doodling, photography, etc. Art therapy is a very pleasant and fun activity but is not to replace treatment and medicines it is only there for the stress reduction, help relieve anxieties and to help the patient express emotions which they could not before, then after the patient is done with their art and pictures; they will sit down with a licensed therapist and go over what they see and why they took pictures of or drew what they did. As for the time being, there are no complications linked with patients and art therapy, ...
Pierson, M., & Wilson, H. (2009). Exploring Art as Therapy. In Using Expressive Arts to Work with Mind, Body, and Emotions: Theory and Practice (pp. 202-222). Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsly Publishers.